HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE [2016]

Kiwi director Taika Waititi's delightfully hilarious wilderness comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the type of film where once you start grinning you just don't stop until it's long over.
It's a simple story about an orphaned troublemaker and his foster uncle go into hiding in the New Zealand bush as they find themselves at the center of a national manhunt.
It's a pretty low-key little film but it manages to be consistently funny, surprisingly touching and all around good for the soul with it's tale of two lost souls teaching each other a thing or two about themselves.  There might be plenty of kiwi in-jokes but it stands with enough honest sincerity, belly  chuckling warmth and universally funny moments it can be enjoyed from all over the world.

4 haikus out of 5

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS [2014]

The Flight Of The Conchords' Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi co-write & direct the New Zealand horror/comedy What We Do In The Shadows.
A very Kiwi-humored mockumentary about a pack of vampires who all happen to be flatmates in Wellington and how they're just trying to get by unnoticed, even if a camera crew is following them around everywhere.  It's more silly than silly and is packed with enough laughable moments amidst all the gallons and gallons of blood.   The film takes it's creature lore very seriously, which is nice but the laughs are first and foremost, which reminded me a lot of how Shaun Of The Dead approached their zombies.  It doesn't quite pack enough wit to make it a classic but is funny enough to recommend to anyone even remotely interested by it's foolish concept.

3 dark biddings on the internet out of 5